Pills, Pot, and Vape Pens

An Alabama man already wanted on a warrant was arrested on drug charges in Montauk on April 25.

Just after 3 a.m., an East Hampton Town police officer on patrol noticed a 2011 Nissan Juke with Alabama license plates parked in the Kirk Park lot, where overnight parking is prohibited. The officer asked Hector Jaime Ventura-Figueroa, 30, of Gadsden, Ala., for his license, a check of which found an active bench warrant issued by East Hampton Town Justice Lisa R. Rana on July 13, 2017, after he failed to answer a misdemeanor drug charge and a marijuana possession charge.

Police searched the car and found “a Marlboro cigarette box under the driver seat containing four small blue plastic bags with a brown crystal-like substance, along with three small plastic bags containing a white powdery substance,” the report said.

Mr. Ventura-Figueroa was placed under arrest and taken to police headquarters. The brown crystal substance, which he said was Molly, later tested positive for methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as Ecstasy, and the white powdery substance tested positive for cocaine.

He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, because the cocaine weighed 500 milligrams or more, and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.

Justice Rana set no bail, and he was turned over to the Suffolk County sheriff’s office. He was released on Monday, per state law, because he was not immediately indicted. He is due back in court next Thursday.

Also last week, a Springs man was arrested on a felony charge following a traffic stop in East Hampton.

Police said they saw Angel R. Palacios-Parra, 44, behind the wheel of a 2001 Dodge van going north on North Main Street, near Springs-Fireplace Road, at about 4:30 p.m. last Thursday. A check of his license revealed that it was suspended on March 28, 2014, for failure to pay child support, and has not been restored.

Police said he had a forged Florida registration sticker and plates, which, according to the report, was so he could avoid a registration renewal payment, and a fraudulent Florida auto insurance identification card. The registration document appeared to be altered and laminated and had vehicle information that did not match his van, police said.

He was charged with second-degree forgery, a felony, two counts of third-degree possession of a forged instrument, a misdemeanor, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree and producing an invalid insurance ID card, both of which are misdemeanors.

Justice Rana arraigned him the next morning and turned him over to the county sheriff’s office.

Police arrested two 33-year-olds on separate days last week on charges of possession of concentrated cannabis after they were found with cartridges containing a brown oil substance that later tested positive for the presence of marijuana. Both men were pulled over in traffic stops.

John A. Mitchell of Springs was stopped on Abraham’s Path on April 22 at 10:10 p.m. for following too closely and having no inspection sticker. There was an odor of marijuana in the vehicle, and Mr. Mitchell then lit an e-cigarette. The cartridge was found in the rear pocket of the driver’s seat.

The other man, Carlos M. Agudelo of East Hampton, was charged after being stopped for speeding on Town Lane last Thursday evening around 9:50. An officer noticed a strong odor of marijuana upon approaching the vehicle. According to Capt. Chris Anderson, Mr. Agudelo lit a cigarette and put it out on the steering wheel. When police searched the car, they found a smoking-device cartridge in the center console.

Both men were charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, and released on their own recognizance. They will be arraigned in East Hampton Town Justice Court at a later date.

John N. Cooper, 62, of Manhattan was arrested on a drug charge Saturday evening in Montauk after police said they discovered he had Adderall and marijuana in his vehicle.

Police noticed a 2003 Ford Explorer parked in the Kirk Park lot at about 9:55 p.m., and when an officer approached the vehicle, he saw Mr. Cooper try to discard something. The officer found three orange oval pills stamped “Adderall XR,” four round blue pills stamped “MA10,” and 27 round blue pills stamped “E111,” all later identified as amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, according to a police report.

Mr. Cooper was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation. He was released on a $100 appearance ticket.

In Sag Harbor, a Southampton man was charged with theft of services after he allegedly stiffed a taxi driver last Thursday. Richard E. Newcomb, 26, took a Hometown Taxi from the Blue Collar Bar in Southampton to Page at 63 Main in Sag Harbor. William Doucette, the taxi driver, phoned village police when Mr. Newcomb refused to pay the $20 fare and entered the restaurant.

An officer spoke to Mr. Newcomb and asked him several times to pay his cab fare, but he refused and yelled an obscenity. He was then placed in handcuffs, charged with a misdemeanor, and taken to police headquarters. He was arraigned on Friday.

About the Author

Taylor K. Vecsey returned to The East Hampton Star in 2014. She was the founding editor of East Hampton Patch news site and also ran Southampton Patch. A Water Mill resident, Ms. Vecsey is a member of the Bridgehampton Fire Department, where she volunteers as an emergency medical technician.